State police say it was a tire that broke off of a tractor-trailer Monday morning on Interstate 76, struck a car and damaged a nearby building's roof.
The incident on the busy Schuylkill Expressway unfolded just after 9:30 a.m., and the height of the tire's bounce onto the roof of the multi-story building, leading to initial fears that it had fallen from an airplane.
A Honda Accord was in the center lane of I-76 headed west when it was struck on its passenger side by the tire, according to Pennsylvania State Police investigating the mishap.
The tire then went airborne and struck the roof of the Philadelphia Housing Authority Work Force Development training facility, located at 1905 Vare Avenue in Grays Ferry, just off of the expressway.
The tire damaged the roof in two places and resulted in an evacuation of the facility.
Two people were in the car when it was struck. State police said a 26-year-old female passenger was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for an evaluation.
FOX 29's Dave Scratwieser later tracked down the Honda Accord and snapped a photo of the damage caused by the tire. It crushed the hood and smashed the windshield.
The tractor-trailer that the tire broke off of has yet to be found.
Building inspectors and other authorities were called out to the scene to investigate damage to the PHA building.
Initial reports were that that the tire may have come from an airplane. But officials at Philadelphia International Airport quickly stated that they did not believe the incident was aircraft-related.
State police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or the tire coming off of the tractor-trailer to contact them at their Philadelphia barracks by calling (215) 560-6200.
Stay with FOX 29 News and MyFOXPhilly.com for more on this developing story.
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